ChhhChhh Changes
by TinpanAlley88
Summary: Street gets his legs back, and takes on the world as it comes. Read and Review if you don't mind. Be gentle. First attempt.
1. Chapter 1

Chhhhh…Changes

"The alternate version , what might have happened had Street regained his mobility"

"Be kind, I'm learning "

Dawn broke over Dillon, the deep orange rays sweeping across the plains. The town began to rise gradually from the slumber of a chilly October morning.

Jason Street lay in his bed, staring towards the rising sun. The sun warmed his face, and he could feel it on his arms, but not much past that. He cursed silently to himself and looked down at his lifeless legs. They mocked him, mocked what he once was, what he had always meant to be. All of his plans, everything dashed. All because he mis-read a damn post pattern, and apparently couldn't tackle as well as he thought.

"No sense in crying over the past" He said to no one in particular.

At least he was regaining his arm power, maybe that was a good sign. The doctor told him he may never regain any feeling period, the least bit of help was a positive sign for Street. Pulling the blanket back up over his torso, he shook off a shiver or two. Laying his head back on the pillow, he turned towards the window. The nurses wouldn't be around for another hour or so, settling in, his mind began to wander.

Two hours later Street sat in the same position when a visitor came knocking,

"Come in", he hollered through the crack of the door. Wondering to himself why the nurse didn't just come in. But to his surprise, it wasn't the nurse. Just his old coach, Eric Taylor.

Coach smiled his way, "Mornin Jason, was out running an errand or two this morning and thought I'd stop by, How are ya son?"

He shot coach a smile, "You know as well as I do, that I've been in this exact spot for almost 2 months. If it weren't for my wheel chair… I might sue this place for bed sores", he chuckled quietly.

Coach Taylor smiled back, but Street could see the pain behind the smile. He felt responsible and that killed him inside. Jason wished that he could say something, wished to the deepest part of his being that there were something he could say, but without asking he knew that this was Coach Taylor's burden to bear on his own time.

" Well we might have to say something to them about that, got to keep you moving. The more you work… well the more chance you have to regain movement. Speaking of that, have you gotten any feeling back at all?"

Street looked up into the man's dark eyes, searching for intent, what was his point? Did he want to hurt Street by reminding him that he might never walk again? The thought kinda pissed him off, but he shook it away and thought for a second,

" As of right now I can lift my arms, and grip somewhat. That's about the only thing I've got. Helps me get around the hospital, but not much more", he hung his head. " I did have a slight twinge in my left leg about two weeks ago. But nothing since, and sometimes I think it was nothing but a figment of my imagination. I wanted to feel again so bad, that I felt something that was never really there."

Taylor smiled and looked down towards the bed, he thought for a minute, "Jason I know that it must seem right now that your life is ruined. But son, you have got to see, you are still alive. You are still living and breathing and that is the best gift anyone can ask for. You've got a chance to go on with your life.." Jason cut him off and cast a wild gaze his way.

"Taylor. I'm going to tell you this once, and I want you to listen really well, ya hear?" Coach Taylor nodded and remained silent. " I know already that my time with the Dillon Panthers is over. I've come to terms with that, But I will promise you and the whole goddamn world one thing. I will not be in this fucking chair forever. Book it." He grinned and looked up, Coach Taylor seeing the same old fierce determination in his old QB 1's eyes,

"Jason that's all I would ever want for you, good luck to you and know that you can call on me if you ever need me." Jason nodded. " I know Coach, and I appreciate it."

Coach Taylor said his goodbyes and left Jason to face the rest of his morning with the rehab crew. Who knew, today might be his breakthrough day.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The morning drug on for Jason, and still no nurses. It was getting a little difficult for Jason not to get angry. Where in the hell were these people, his parents weren't paying out there asses for him to sit in a bed all day. Struggling to get himself to a sitting position, his body groaned in protest,

"I know old buddy, I know", he said to himself. His back felt like a thousand tiny needles were rammed into his back. Nice to know that he still had feeling there, thank god for small miracles right? Giving the pain a second to subside, slowly but surely it ceased leaving his back stiff. Groaning slightly, he reached out and snagged his chair. Seeing that he couldn't grip well, the rubber handles slipped away from him. He cursed under his breath and reached out again, but the chair was too far, and he overextended himself. He toppled from his bed, landing heavily on his shoulder.

"Son of a bitch!" He yelled to the empty room. His shoulder hurt and bad, pulling his chair to him, he struggled into the seat, already sweating in the false heat of the sterile hospital room. Catching his breath he grabbed the wheels and rolled on out.

The sun that had reached his window earlier that morning now streamed lazily across the soft white walls of the hospital hallway. Wow it was quiet he thought. You would think it would be bustling here around this time. But only a nurse here and there scuttled through some double doors at the end of the hallway. He rolled that way, grimacing as the rough wheel dug harshly into the palm of his hand. The nurses station lay ahead, and finally he caught up to one of them. Nurse Jackson, oh how he had lusted after her the first week or two after being stuck in here. Lyla for sure wouldn't have understood, but he didn't care. After what she did, she was dead to him.

Nurse Jackson had shoulder length mahogany curls, and the best breasts Jason had ever seen. Oh what I would do to that if I could walk he thought chuckling to himself. She noticed him rolling up and turned to face him, her smile lit up his already gloomy day, and he couldn't help but smile back.

"Mr. Street, what are you doing out of your room?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"I'd like to ask you the same question," He quipped shooting that playboy smile he'd always been famous for.

" I work here, unlike you. Plus I wouldn't want to see my favorite patient hurt himself again. You've been doing so well, can't jeopardize that now can we?"

She did have a way with words. But most women with a pretty smile did these days. All it took was just looking him straight in the eye, and talking to him like he was a person to make his day. Sad he knew. But you took what you could get.

"Actually Ms. Jackson, I'm just headed to Physical therapy, all gung ho and what not. Parents are eager to see me walking again. Best not to disappoint, though I basically screwed them out of a good life never learning to tackle." Sighing Jason hung his head looking down to the scuffed up floor.

She reached down and placed her hands gently on Street's shoulders,

"You've got to keep the faith Jason. Yes, your parents are sad that you'll never play football again. But, you can't think that just because your career is over that they won't love you anymore. They only want the best for you, deep down you know that."

He looked up, those deep glacier blue eyes drew him in, something about them just begged him to believe that everything was going to be ok. He was eager to oblige with their request.

"I know. God forgive me, I know. But, I just can't help but feel that they are giving up on me. Hell, they wanted to sue the coach! Coach Taylor for god's sake! What the hell kind of good would that have done? If there was anyone in the whole freaking world that cared about me more than my parents, it would be him. He's a second father to me, and had absolutely nothing….

She cut him off quickly, "Jason, Jason I know… Shhhh.. It's going to be ok I promise. Everything is going to work out" She stroked his cheek gently and smiled down to him.

God what a woman, what would he would do for her.

"I've got to go… But you have no idea how much your little talks help me out. My spirit needs these things. Promise me you'll stick around?"

She smiled as he rolled down the hallway. "Jason, I'll be here as long as you need me," and after he was out of earshot, " and even longer if it takes that long for you to notice me."

Jason rolled quickly down the hallway, the earlier aches easing away little by little. Rodrigo was the only one behind the counter, he looked up as Jason rolled into the office.

"Well look who it is, Mr. Bright and Early Jason Street. Aren't you here a little early?" He said looking down at his watch.

"Is it really that early?" He looked up at the clock on the wall. Just 9:30, Sheesh he was out early, his sense of time had been slipping lately. "Do you think you could squeeze me in this morning? Really hoping to get my work out of the way early, who knows, maybe this will be the day my legs decide to rejoin the world!"

Rod thought for a second, " You do know that I'm just an intern, right? They stuck me up here this morning on scrub duty. I might actually do you more harm than good. You sure you want me to help out?

"Look man, you've been the coolest out here. Most down to earth guy I've met, I feel like I can trust you, and shit…. It's not like I could screw myself up much more than I already am." He laughed, " So I am fully in your care Rod Cano, just don't kill me."

A big smile stretched from ear to ear across Rod's face, "Man that's good to hear, least I can get some practice in. Don't mind if I wheel ya in do you?"

"My hands are still hurting from the drive down here, so no my friend I don't mind you wheeling me in at all."

Rodrigo picked up the phone and turned the voicemail on, "No one calls this time of day anyway," He walked out from behind the large oak desk and grabbed the handles of Jason's wheel chair, bound and determined not to screw this up, he wheeled his "patient" into the therapy room.

A vast room stretched out in front of the two friends. Huge full lengths mirrors ran from the ground up to the ceiling down the right hand wall. Various contraptions, each different in nature lay in specific portions of the room. Down along the wall to his direct right, there was a basic setup of two thick wooden poles perpendicular from each other about five feet off the ground.

This was Jason's territory and had been since he got here. It had helped him to regain some of his grip in his hands, but for the most part they were still locked in a brutal rigamortis like grip. It pained him to see his hands like that. But what could you do? One little bit at a time. Hopefully they would work out in time.

Rod pushed him over to the bars, positioning Jason's chair directly between the bars.

"Well here you are again, no you don't like them. But you got to start somewhere" He said grinning at Jason.

"Oh I know, trust me I know. But I'll do whatever it takes"

"Well then lets get at it champ, get your arms up and on that bar now!" He barked the order just liked Jason liked it, reminded him of the glory days.

Straining against the protests of his body, he threw his hands up on to the bars. They smacked down with an excruciating thud.

"Son of a bitch!" He cursed to the empty room.

"Shut the hell up and stop whining," Rod said harshly.

He took the job seriously. Slowly but surely Jason maneuvered his hands so that they rested on the bars. Now came the hard part. Jason's brow began to furrow and sweat formed at his temple as he struggled against the handicap. He was not going to give up. It was living in this goddamn chair for ever or getting better now! Come on you bastards! He grunted and focused, sweat pouring down his face, Rod shouting his guttural encouragements from behind.

"Lets go! Come on! You can do this Jason, this handicap is all in your mind, all you've got to do is break through and you'll be free!

Jason soaked in the encouragement and turned it into fuel, he poured the fuel into his subconscious , He was going to do this he had to this, it was now or never.

Suddenly, he right hand relaxed and fell to the pole… the smooth wood of the pole resting against his open palm.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

-Author Note-

Here I am at 3:51 in the morning… 16 beers in to a 20 pack and smoking a Pall Mall cigarette.. I've got a feeling this will be a little hard to read, give me time. I'd like to thank hrssoccergirl for her reviews… Thank ya sweetie. If you come across this and know nothing about FNL.. I don't care. Just absorb yourself into the story, and tell me what you think. I appreciate it.

Jason stared down at his hand.

It had opened completely. Holy shit, his hand had opened all the way and now rest on the wooden pole to his right.

It had released, a breakthrough… By god a breakthrough!

He turned and faced Rod, "Man… My hand… I can feel it! Holy shit….. I can feel it again!"

Rod looked down to Jason's hand a huge smile on his face,

"I'm happy for you dude, this is just the first step.. but I can sense that things are going to get better for you soon."

Jason nodded and turned back to his hand, picking it up from the pole where it lay he brought it close to his face and flexed it, pulling the deteriorated muscles of his hand together again and again. The grip was nothing like it had been.. and that troubled Jason.

"Will I be able to work back to like I was? I don't know if I can put up with this weakness."

Rod thought for a second and rubbed the darkened skin around his temple, "You will regain strength Jason. It's just weak now.. because it's been what? 2 months since you had any feeling in it whatsoever? It's ability has deteriorated. But it will get better with time."

"Thank god. Not to be negative.. But I can feel the cold seeping back into it, Is that a bad thing? Am I losing it again?"

"Pick it up and flex it again" Rodrigo ordered with a snap

Jason tried to pick up his right hand, but he couldn't. The power was gone… It was seeping away from him like water running into a drain.

"Rod… It's gone. I can't pick it up" He slammed back into the chair. "God damn! Rod it's gone! What do I do?

With the ease of seasoned parent Rodrigo soothed his patient,

"Jason calm yourself. I mean it! Calm the hell down! You got your motion back there for a second, do you know how much a good sign that is?"

He stared down at Jason,

"This is a big break through, whether you choose to acknowledge it or not."

Jason knew what he was saying was true, but he couldn't help and feel the sting of defeat. He had moved his hands completely… if only for a second…. And just like that it was gone again.

"I know Rod, any improvement is good improvement right?"

Rod smiled at his patient

"You got it buddy, please keep the faith. I will have your all-american ass walking in no time. You can guarantee that."

Jason laughed, "That's all I can ask for. I'm a little beat. Is ok if I go ahead and shove off ? Got a little lady up in the north wing…. Think I might go chat her up a bit."

Rodrigo frowned and turned back to Jason, "We just had a major breakthrough and you want to go socialize with some woman? Are you kidding me? Come on Jason."

"But Rod… She has this look to her…. I've gotta go chat her up some…. Can ya understand where I'm coming from?"

Rod grimaced and nodded, " I understand what Leila has done to you, I know that it hurts. But Nurse Jackson…"

"Wait a minute… How the hell do you know who I'm talking about?" He snapped angrily

"Word gets around dude"

That was all he needed to say. Jason understood that life sometimes was a little too like high school and it scared him a little bit. He grasped the wheels of his chair best he could and rolled towards the exit, Rod followed him.

"So you are just going to leave me… For a women… I see how it is."

"It's not a big deal. I'll be back first thing in the morning, but I just need a little time to think about today. Can ya feel me?"

" I feel you 100%. Just don't let today get you down? Alright? Promise me that. We will have you walking again man. I will see to it… I promise."

Jason grinned up Rodrigo, "I believe you, and you can bet the farm that I will be here every day until I can walk again, ok?"

"Good" Rod turned and watched Jason as he rolled out the swinging double doors.

Jason picked up speed as he rolled down the still relatively empty hallways. He thought it was still strange for a hospital to be this empty… But then again that was Dillon… slow and boring.

Rolling up to the Nurses station he saw Agnes sitting behind one of the computers,

"Why if it isn't my favorite nurse in the hospital, How are you doing today?"

Agnes blushed, Jason could tell that she wasn't used to the compliments. Poor woman had never been married, but was one of the better nurses he had ever seen. Truly perfect for her profession.

"Why Jason Street you are the absolute image of handsome this morning, How are you my dear?"

He blushed slightly at the remark. God these women knew how to make him melt. It was a little sad.

"Oh this is just how I wake up, you know we all can't be this beautiful," Jason laughed.. poking fun at his unwashed, smelly hospital attire and appearance.

"Well you brighten up my day, every day, How can I help you lad?"

"Well ma'am, I'm looking for Nurse Jackson I had a quick question for her," He blanched, hoping that it wouldn't hurt Agnes feelings.

"Need clean sheets do ya?"

"Yes ma'am! They are filthy, and my toilet is getting a little bad. I'm going to roll on back to my room, would you mind sending her my way when you see her?"

"Not at all love, Get yourself back to your room and rest. You looked like you just ran the Boston Marathon" She smiled.

Good meant she wasn't pissed.

" I would appreciate that ma'am."

Turning up the hallway Jason rolled to his room. Rolling into the sickening white-walled room, his stomach retched. God he hated it here. He rolled up to his bed and grasped the handles. Struggling he pulled himself up into the bed, panting with the effort he adjusted to the contours of the mattress and lay back, awaiting his visit from Megan Jackson.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

(Author's Note: I'm basically just putting this chapter out to avoid becoming stagnant, I really didn't try that hard and it will probably be evident. Big things planned for next chapter, Stay tuned!)

Life can be hectic in the hospital, and it would seem that today was one of those days. Since Jason had been back to his room, people slowly trickled in, to the point that a dull roar was just outside the door.

Jason lay dozing in his hospital bed, sunshine filtered through the blinds, criss-crossing over his face, he was ill, 2 and a half hours and Megan was no where to be seen.

"Better be saving someone," he growled angrily to no one in particular

Jason was used to getting things his way, a fault; the he had yet to come to terms with despite his condition.

He glanced across the room, his eyes following each blank wall. Barren and non-descript… just the way he liked it. Jason was never much for thrills anyway, he prided himself on being a warrior, and his likes exuded that mentality.

A knock came to his door

"Finally!" He said happily, "Come on in!"

But, it wasn't Megan, just Agnes coming to check on him.

Again.

The old woman was sweet, he had to at least own up to that, but she reminded him of his grandmother … and she was a little annoying. But .. Beggars can't be choosers, so he lie back and absorbed her babying and sweetly coated words.

"How are you feeling my dear?" She said smiling down to Jason

"Any aches, pains? I'm the best drug dealer you'll ever meet, better use me while ya got me," She chuckled to herself, "I'm being serious Jason, you just let me know if you have anything bothering you at all, ok? I will see to it that you have everything taken care of."

He couldn't help but smile, Hell this woman was taking better care of him than his mom had at times. It was nice to have someone who looked at you like a person, and not an eventual retirement check. Resentment to his parents? Jason feel that? Naw.

"I'm alright now , just wish Nurse Jackson would stop by for a second," He sighed.

"You did tell her to drop by right?"

His mention of the other, younger nurse seemed to hurt Agnes's feelings. She reddened and stuttered,

"W..W…Well of course I did Jason, Has she not been by?"

Lying.. eh. Why she felt the need to lie to him Jason would never know. Got to handle this one carefully he thought.

"Oh well god bless you, you are truly a wonderful woman, I tell you that enough don't I? Don't know what I would do here without you."

Agnes smiled, "Well you are a good butt kisser. But that doesn't bother me. Makes these days go by quicker. I'm going to head out, got some more errands to run. People to take care of and what not. I'll send Megan this way"

"Thank ya!"

He watched as she left the room, hoping that she wasn't too mad. Had to keep her happy, cause she in turn kept him happy.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

(Note: You all want to see Riggins. Well here he is, soak him in during this chapter because he won't be back for awhile. Please, Please read and review)

The day drug on, and still there lay Jason alone and stuffy, in this room where the air conditioner never seemed to work.

"Fuck it's hot as hell in here!" He cursed, wishing he could throw the blanket from his legs. He was roasting and there wasn't a damn nurse in sight. Resigned to his fate, he slid back down into the bed and let the heat over take him. It washed over his senses, filled his already cloudy mind, and as if with the drop of a hat, Jason drifted into a light, but troubling dream filled sleep.

His eyes opened slowly, the harsh light of midday causing him to shield them. As they slowly adjusted to the glare his surroundings filled him with a sudden despair. He wasn't in the hospital. How in the hell could he not be in the hospital? Why would someone take him away from his medical care? His heart began to beat with the fury of trip hammer as he searched wildly for any signs of life.

He finally recognized his surroundings though. He was on the Dillon campus,the very same football field where he ruined his life. How? Was this some sort of sick joke? Slowly Jason began to walk towards the 50 yard line. Walked. Walked. Jason stared down at his legs. They were moving. The goddamn things were moving! But how? He dismissed the thought with a wave of his hand. How didn't matter, He was walking and that was all that mattered to him. All thoughts of hospitals, nurses, and wheel chairs faded from his mind as stopped on the 50 yard line and gazed back across the field, his eyes tracing over the stands, the press box, the bright glaring suns pouring light down from above. He smiled and was happy. This was his domain. Jason Street was back! Letting out a primal roar he turned back towards the direction of the field house and noticed to distinct shapes headed towards him.

The shapes materialized out of the fog that surrounded the field. Where the hell had the fog come from? Jason thought wildly.. Wasn't it midday? When the hell did it get dark? His mind raced.

Tim Riggins and Lyla Garrity strode towards him with a determined gait. They didn't look happy to see him. Why wouldn't they be happy? Then he remembered… Lyla had cheated on him with Tim.

"You bitch!" He yelled

"You've got some nerve even coming to talk to me now that I'm walking again, What your meal ticket is back now? I'm walking again , so I should forgive you?" He glared angrily at the shadowed apparition making it's way to him.

"Say something goddamnit! Say something!" He yelled

The two specters stopped not 5 feet away from him and stared on with deep, dark, soulless eyes.

Riggins spoke up first, and as if one cue a blast of wind blew the strands of hair back from his face revealing eyes darker than the night sky.

"You were never my friend." The phantom spat at him.

"You were never there for me, you never once cared for me. So why should I have ever considered you a friend?

A smirk came over the twisted complexion of the dark man,

"I never did. Which is why I was doing your slut girlfriend while you lay paralyzed in a hospital bed, how does that hit you jack ass? Make you feel better? While you sat there moaning in pain , Lyla was moaning in my bed…"

The ghost laughed and shoved Jason making him fall heavily to the Earth. Riggins walked over to him and gazed down.

"You were always small time Street, especially in the places it counted most," from in the distance a small girlish giggle could be heard. Riggins began to circle around Jason's body, following the outlines of his large frame. Coming back to his legs, Tim raised a spiked boot and slammed it down into Jason's thigh.

The agony was absolutely unbearable, Jason howled as his mangled leg twitched on the ground. Turning to face the attacker he once thought a friend, he watched Riggins embrace Lyla in a deep kiss. The passion was unmistakable… and it was clear to Jason that these two had been together before. But he already knew that. His white hot anger seethed anew as the ghostly couple kissed in front of him.

"You son of a bitch! I'll kill you, I swear to god. I will hunt you down and skin you alive! Do you hear me Tim Riggins? Do you hear me?!?"

The apparition turned and faced him

"No," He said solemnly, "You won't." He began to fade away, leaving Lyla and Jason.

Despite the pain, and tears in his eyes Jason looked up to her.

"Why Lyla? Why? What did I ever do to you to deserve this? Did I not treat you well enough? Did I not buy you enough things? You said were golden, together forever remember? Why my best friend?" tears streamed down his cheek as he stared up at the woman he had once loved, and part of him still loved her.

The figure turned to him, a sneer stretched across the usually beautiful face

"You just don't get it do you? Your small little insignificant brain can't seem to comprehend the fact that I might have found someone better than you? That someone out there was more right for me than you were, It just took your pathetic attempt at a tackle to make me realize it."

Her words stung like ice cold water flung across his naked body, he winced from the impact and stared down at the dirt as more tears dropped from his eyes to the ground.

"Even now you are making this decision one of the easiest of my life! You are crying on the ground like a little baby. Riggins is twice the man you are, and 10 times better than you ever were in bed! At least I don't have to fake pleasure for him!"

She kicked at Jason's side, the rounded toe of her white keds dug into Jason's ribs, He cried out in pain, "Why Lyla? Why!?"

"Because I hate you, and I've always hated you. Your perfect life, your perfect body, everything being handed to you on silver platter, never having to work for anything in your life Jason! Do you know what it feels like to actually work for something? Have you ever once not been given exactly what you wanted for no reason at all?"

He started to answer but was met with another kick to the ribs, his air escaped in a huge whoosh. Jason gasped trying to pull in air quickly.

"Don't open your damn mouth. There is nothing you could say right now that would make me hurt or hate you any less. You are nothing but a piece of shit Jason street!" In one last fit of rage she brought walked up to Jason's neck and stopped for a second to stare at him. The dark soulless eyes searched him, channeled to the depths of his soul.

"You know I thought once there might be something worth saving. Now I see there isn't." with a great heave she reared back her foot and kicked Jason right at the base of his neck, sending a shockwave down his spine, Jason howled in pain as the same old numbness crept back into his limbs, "Nooooooooooo!" He screamed into the night as the clouds circled around him, obscuring his vision and fading to black.

Without warning he came to again. He was in the same place, but there were people and he was in uniform! What the hell was going on?

Riggins was trotting in from the sidelines, Jason seethed at seeing his face again, but Riggins was cordial.

"Flag X stop route on three"

Jason finally had the dark realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

He was reliving the incident and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

They broke the huddle and he sauntered up behind center, crouching down and placing his hands in the usual spot. Maybe he could change things this time around! Maybe he could make it right! But he knew deep down in his soul that no matter how hard or how fast he threw that ball. It was going to be an interception

"Set… Set… HIKE" The ball snapped up into his hands and dropped back into the pocket, he read the defense, basic ¾ zone, nothing that he hadn't seen before. But he still wasn't going to make that throw. Drifting out of the pocket to the right he saw his tight end break open for just a split second and fired the ball from his cannon arm as best he could….

and watched in agony as the free safety undercut the route and snagged the ball beautifully from the air. All that remained between him and 6 points was green grass and Jason. Taking an angle to the ball carrier, he relied on those speed skills that often went unnoticed and made it to the safety. Still not knowing what possessed him to lunge at the guy, he did it anyway. They collided with the force of a small nuclear bomb, and Jason felt that little pop, and his body went lifeless as he fell to the turf. Not able to brace for the hit Jason watched as the ground neared and he passed through, falling into a deep void of black.

Finally he landed and hard. On the tile floor it would seem, beside his hospital bed, a warm sticky fluid pooled around the back of his head as he started to fade from consciousness

"Blood………….."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Jason Street lay rigid, a pool of rapidly expanding blood spread out from the wound in his head, covering the sterile tile floors in a crimson colored nightmare. Jason was aware but just barely, he could smell the iron tint of his blood on the air, but there was nothing he could do. If only he could get his hand to the EKG monitor, he used what little movement he had and brushed the device from his finger, the flat dull beep of a flatline rang out through his small room. Things started to beep and the last thing he remembered was the site of Megan running through the door

~Shadows swirled in and out of his field of vision, he was moving again but didn't know how. The tiles of the hospital ceiling zipping by at an incredible pace, somewhere, he wasn't sure exactly where he could hear someone calling his name,

"Jason! Stay with us !"

That was funny he thought, where was he going? Why did he need to stay with anyone, he was perfectly still in his bed.~

The nurses wheeled Jason quickly down the hall and into an open operating room. His fall from the bed was troubling. How had someone who had no motion been able to move enough to fall out of his bed? Not only that, but he had landed hard against the side of the bed, and a nasty gash ran down the back of his head, exposing pale white bone through the bloody scalp. They had to get him sewn up quickly.

Megan Jackson was the nurse in charge of getting him cleaned up. She felt terrible. She had meant to drop in and see him, but things had just gotten so busy. If only she had been able to stop in for a moment, this might have been prevented.

No sense in crying over something that she had no control over, get it together and help him out now. She'd be there to talk with him as soon as woke up this time around. Nurses streamed in and out of the room for the next hour or so. By the time the doctor finally decided to show his face, Jason was already cleaned up and resting peacefully. Megan who was among the first there, let the doctor have it.

"Where the hell have you been?" She demanded

"I'm sorry, but there were more pressing matters, and from the look of things, You probably didn't need me at all."

"We decided that it was too dangerous for any of the nurses to attempt sewing him up, what with the skull being exposed." She quipped glaring back at him defiantly.

"Be that as it may, this was still a basic job. Though he had a rather nasty fall and cut to go right along with it. It didn't affect him adversely in any way. I mean hell it's not like he could have done much damage anyway. The kid is a cripple." He said jokingly

Megan's eyes glazed over. A fury began to boil over in her, marching over to the doctor she reared back and slapped him hard across the face.

"You son of bitch! You are damn lucky that I don't report you! He is a patient and one of the hardest working we have. If I ever hear you speaking ill of him again like that…"

Stinging he rubbed his face, "Know your place nurse. You are easily replaceable. I am not"

He turned and marched out of the room, Megan burst into tears. She couldn't do that again. It wasn't smart letting her feelings for Jason get in the way of her job. But she just couldn't help it. His smile, his demeanor, the way he never had a mean word to say to anyone around him, she felt comfortable around him, and that was different for her. She wasn't used to letting people in like that. To tell the god honest truth, it scared her that she felt for him like she did. How would it look to her peers if they realized she was falling in love with a patient?

She looked on and smiled at Jason's sleeping form as they wheeled him from the room and down the busy hallway.

Jason awoke to a pounding head, and itchy gauze.

His head as he could feel was wrapped up pretty tightly. Guess they got him cleaned up pretty well. He had been scared there for a minute. But it seemed other than the cut, that there was going to be no real lasting damage. Nasty scar though, and that was never really a good thing to have on your head of all places. But he'd make do.

He looked around the room and noticed his mom asleep in a chair beside the bed, the latest Dean Koontz paperback draped across her lap. Well they actually made it here this time. Surprise Surprise.

"Mom" He croaked through dry cracked lips

She stirred ever so slightly and groaned as she shook off the light nap.

"How are you hunny?" Funny she actually sounded concerned. That was a new one.

"Other than a killer headache, and a whole lot of itchy gauze, I think I'll survive."

She looked at him and gave him a beautiful smile, that smile had won her homecoming queen. He laughed quietly to himself.

"I could get the nurse in here to help with that headache if you like?"

he thought for a moment,

"Ok, that might help me sleep a little bit."

She left the room and he was at peace once more. It bothered him that he couldn't stand to be around his mother or father much anymore. But what could you do? The parents that he thought he had known were gone. All that was left were these bitter, spiteful people, who jumped at any chance to blame someone for his accident or make every a little bit of money off of Jason.

It was sad, and it broke Jason's heart. But he knew deep down that there was nothing he could do about it. It just better to resign himself to getting better and moving far away, so the he could distance himself from them all together, and hopefully change their perception of him in the process. From a meal ticket, to an actual person, he didn't see it happening. But one could hope, and he had nothing else to live for.

His mom came back through the door, dragging behind her was Megan. Jason's smile at seeing her could have lit up the room had the bright fluorescent bulbs not already done the job for him.

"N..N..Nurse Jackson… It's good to see you again," He stammered… god he sounded like an idiot… but this woman had an effect on him that he just couldn't describe.

She came over to the edge of the bed and placed her hand over his, He almost melted… God she was so beautiful.

"How is my favorite patient doing? Looks like we might have to start strapping you into your bed… What were you dreaming about anyway?" She laughed and stroked his arm.

He blanched and stuttered again, "Well…W….W… Well it's hard to describe and I don't remember much of it… But I don't really want to talk about it right now…" He trailed off and looked away

Almost as if she knew what it was immediately she changed the subject,

"Is the bandaging bothering you? We could remove some if you like. Just wanted to make sure and avoid infection for the first couple of hours."

He thought for a moment,

"No, no It's completely ok. Not bothering me at all."

His mother looked on, she seemed pissed. Her son was paying more attention to this whore nurse than the woman that gave birth to him and it pissed her off.

"Jason I thought you said it was bothering you?"

"No mom. The headache is the only thing. It's pretty killer"

Megan laughed, "Well with the way you split your head open like that, a massive headache is to be expected. But I can help you with that."

She reached deep down into her coat and pulled out a clear bottle. Sedative. Ahh. It would be nice to sleep for awhile Jason thought. Maybe his mom would be gone when he woke up.

"Mom if you don't mind could you leave Nurse Jackson and I alone for a minute?"

She didn't want to he could tell.

"Sure hun." She walked out of the room angrily, pulling the door to behind her.

He didn't know where to start.

"Megan…."

She cut him off.

"Jason… I don't know what you are thinking. But this just can't happen ok? It would be seriously unprofessional of me. I really need this job, and something like this could get me fired"

He stared, dumbfounded. Wow, she had thought this through a lot more than he had. Had to come up with a diversion and quick or else he might lose her.

"Megan that's not why I asked her to leave."

"It wasn't?"

He began again, "No. I simply just wanted to thank you for sticking with me for so long. Being there for me when it felt like this place was a prison, you have been my rock for these past two months, and I feel really close to you. But I know that anything more than what we have might endanger your job…."

He sighed heavily, " and that is the last thing that I would want to do to you."

She smiled at him again, "Thank you for understanding Jason. I just feel differently around you and it scares me. I've never felt like this around anyone before. Not even the bastard that fathered my little girl."

"You have a daughter?"

"Yes. You didn't know?"

"Had absolutely no idea, but that makes no difference either way. You are still the same person. Daughter or not."

He had obviously made her day.

"Jason you don't how much that means to me. Most men find out about her and then turn around and run the other way. That doesn't bother you at all?"

"Nope, and why should it? I mean it's not like we are together or anything." He winced as the words left his mouth. He didn't mean it like that. Stupid.

She was taken aback, and seemed to be a little hurt. Though she covered it really well.

"You are right Mr. Street. Is there anything else that you require?"

He searched for the right words to say,

"Look Megan… I'm sorry. I did not mean it to come out like that. It's just that your daughter isn't really a problem right now… ok?"

"Maybe down the road, we might finally get to meet up. But she is the furthest thing from my mind right now. I just want to think about you and me, and possibly there being a future when I get out of here."

" First of all. You seem to be putting all your eggs in one basket Jason. How the hell do you even know if we'll end up together? There is no way of knowing if a slight crush is going to blossom into something else entirely. So you just get over yourself ok? Realize that I am your caregiver and only that right now."

Her words stung. She was right. He had believed that it was more than it was, and been burned for it. She had a crush and that was all… He was stupid to have thought any differently. He cursed himself silently and turned back towards her,

"I understand. No that is all I need for now thank you."

She turned and left the room. Walking down the hallway she managed to slip into a empty closet. She went in quickly closing and locking the door behind her. She put her back up against the door and slowly slid to the floor. Quietly so as to not give away her presence, she began to cry and buried her face in her hands.


End file.
